This invention relates to aircraft of a type that is adapted to be harnessed to the back of a man and propelled in flight by means of an engine.
From ancient times and down through the ages to the present, man has continuously sought to soar like a bird about the sky, to ascend high above the clouds, to glide with the air currents, to swoop down at will toward the earth and turn suddenly in flight to again rise upwardly, and finally to land at will at home or in some far away place.
Man's efforts at solo flight in this manner have met with repeated failure. The contraptions he employed included wings which he endeavored to flap like a bird so as to rise from the ground, or to sustain him in flight after he leaped from some high point. Man's error was in trying to attain flight by flapping the artificial wings which he attached to his body. His body was too heavy, and his physical energy was far too limited for any practical purpose in this respect.
The present invention has been designed to avoid this error. It is directed to the provision of a non-flappable winged craft which is adapted to be attached to the body of a man; it is provided with an engine whereby it may be propelled into space and sustained in flight; and it is provided with manually operable controls whereby it may be directionally controlled in flight and caused to ascend and descend at the will of the pilot.
Accordingly, the subject of this invention comprises a single winged plane having a central portion adapted to be harnessed, as by strapping, to the body of a pilot, and provided with an engine subject to the control of the pilot whereby the plane is adapted to be propelled and sustained in flight. A suitable appendage extending centrally and rearwardly from the plane provides a rest for the pilot's feet while the plane is in flight. Suitable handgrips with associated controls enable the pilot to effect a controlled operation of the engine and directional movements of the plane including takeoff and landing.
The invention further lies in its overall construction, in the general organization of its component parts, and in their cooperative association with one another to effect the various purposes and advantages for which the invention was developed.
The subject of the invention is light in weight and of practical construction. It is suited for use not only for peaceful purposes, but also for warfare. It does not need a large hangar for housing and repairs, since its small size enables its storage in a small shed, garage or in one's home. Nor does it need an airport or acres of land for takeoff and landing; it can take off from, or land upon, a backyard, small lot or roadway.
It is a simply designed, small and inexpensive craft, whereby one may for pleasure or work employ it to rise above the earth, explore the heavens, and travel high over land and water to distant lands and places near; it may be used to considerable advantage in emergencies and rescue operations to swiftly carry a skilled technician, doctor, law enforcement agent, or other to an area of distress, whether it be the top of a mountain or building, a snowbound village, or other inaccessible place. It would be of considerable advantage in warfare, since it may be equipped with cannon, rockets or other firearms and swiftly piloted to a place of need. Its small size and jet developed speed would make it an infinitesimal or phantom target to enemy fire. Its small size and inexpensive structure enable vast numbers of military men to employ them, so as to fill the skies in battle array and sweep over the enemy territory with the utmost of strategic swiftness and surprise.
The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages of this invention will appear more fully hereinafter upon considering the detailed description which follows, together with the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.